Scholar of the Week

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation recognizes Robert Weiss, an associate professor of geosciences, for his efforts to understand the response of the physical environment to tsunami.

Weiss studies sedimentology, coastal engineering, and oceanography, with a particular focus on the sediment deposits generated by tsunami generated by extreme high-energy events such as earthquakes, slides, storms, and oceanic meteorite impacts. These sediment deposits can range in size from very small to as large as boulders.

Using methodologies ranging from field surveys and laboratory analysis, to analytical and numerical modeling, Weiss seeks to understand how sediment deposits form and how they are transported. This knowledge will not only increase understanding of the Earth's history, but also applies to problems in the basic and applied sciences.

Weiss earned his Ph.D. from Westfalische-Wilhelms University, Munster, Germany, and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Friedrich-Schiller University in Jena, Germany.